NBA: Dallas Mavericks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Preview, Odds, Predictions

The Dallas Mavs aren’t in a good position, and they seek a win over the Philadelphia 76ers to improve the current situation. After four losses in a row, we’ve seen them triumphing in Indianapolis, but that won’t be valuable unless Jason Kidds’ unit triumphs tonight. Philly isn’t looking well either, with three consecutive losses, four in the past five. If they continue playing like this, the third place in the East could be in jeopardy. And that’s something nobody in Philadelphia wants.

Preview

So the Dallas Mavericks (+175) are now not only outside the playoff zone, but the play-in zone as well. All that is because of a few sloppy games. However, with a couple of consecutive victories, we just might see them again among the top six teams in the West.

A victory over the Indiana Pacers 127-104 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, was the first following four defeats, and that’s important for the morale before a big challenge in Philly. Luka Doncic was solid, with 25 points, seven boards, and six assists. Kyrie followed Luka perfectly, hitting seven of his 11 field goal attempts for 16 points, not spending too many possessions. Jaden Hardy came off the bench to score 20 buckets in 24 minutes.

We need to mention that Dallas made 18 three-pointers in 37 attempts, which is a superb percentage, and had 29 assists.

Joel Embiid was heavily criticized for avoiding the clash against Nikola Jokic on Monday night. His Philadelphia 76ers (-210) lost in Denver, which was their third defeat in a row, four over the recent five events. That’s why they entered a very tough situation with the Cleveland Cavaliers breathing down their neck in the race for the third seed in the East.

James Harden also skipped this event, though he didn’t do it due to load management like Embiid, but a previously earned injury. Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points with five assists, 12-for-21, while Tobias Harris and Paul Reed added 16 each.

We need to turn our attention once more toward Embiid, who lost a lot of MVP votes last night for not showing up in Colorado. He often calls out other rivals for various things, and we’ll see how he justifies this action.

Head to Head Games

The Mavs hosted the 76ers in the first meeting this season, which took place in early March. Dallas was better 133-126, with Luka and Kyrie dominating the way, scoring 42 and 40 points, respectively. Luka had 12 assists and seven threes, while Kyrie hit six downtown shots in eight attempts. They were 28-for-44 combined.

Prediction

This will be a very interesting matchup to see because of the incredible offensive potential on both ends. Though our pick here is the hosts, who will have Embiid ready and 100% healthy, and that’s a massive difference, especially once you don’t have an above-average center on the opposite side of the field. Harden should be back as well, but even if he isn’t, there is enough potential in Philly to use the home-court edge and beat the tired opponents who will play their fourth consecutive away event.

Pick: Philadelphia 76ers win -210